Health sector gets $129.8B injection

Jan 16, 2024 News

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– $1.5B set aside to build new hinterland hospitals

Kaieteur News – In pursuit of what it termed a “resilient health sector”, the government this year has allocated some $129.8 billion out of its national budget to support the country’s health sector.

This is according to Senior Minister with the responsibility for Finance Dr. Ashni Singh who on Monday presented this year’s $1.146 trillion budget under the theme ‘Staying the Course, Building Prosperity for all’ at the 71^st sitting of the National Assembly.

Speaking on expanding and upgrading health facilities and diagnostic capabilities in the country, the minister said that continuing the construction of the world class paediatric and maternal hospital in Ogle, this year some $10.3 billion has been budgeted to continue the works of the structure.

Having recently turned the sod to mark the construction of the new, New Amsterdam Hospital in Region Six, Singh related that the sum of $6.2 billion has been budgeted towards this project. Construction which commenced and advanced on six regional hospitals namely at Bath, De Kindere, Diamond, Enmore, Lima and No. 75 Village last year, the Senior Minister announced that $15.5 billion is set aside to continue the progress of the facilities.

Additionally, he said that Bartica, Suddie and West Demerara hospitals will be upgraded this year at an estimated cost of $10 billion in 2024. Notably, hospitals will be constructed at Kamarang, Kato, Moruca, as well upgrade will be done to Lethem Regional Hospital, at a cost of $1.5 billion this year.

Having spent some $2 billion last year to upgrade health facilities and living quarters, the minister mentioned that retrofitting of health centres, health posts, and other health facilities this year, they have set aside $5 billion for that.

In terms of stocking these health facilities with medical and non-medical equipment, this year, $2.9 billion has been budgeted for the continued expansion of the equipment inventory. Turning the attention to the Human Resource Capacity in the sector, Minister Singh said that the nation continues to be challenged by competition for the services of healthcare professionals, especially nurses, from foreign countries in 2023.

In dealing with the situation, the minister explained that they have intervened by investing heavily in the training of health science professionals including nurses, with an investment of $1.4 billion budgeted for the construction of two health science training facilities, one being at New Amsterdam and the other at Suddie, Region Two.

He added that having had an intake of over 2,000 students to the medical services programmes last year, in 2024 they are looking to have a cohort of over 3,500 students, of which approximately 2,000 relate to persons enrolled in the nursing programmes.

In the intervention with the shortage of nurses, the minister highlighted that the government increase the number of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals from the Cuban Medical Brigade from 192 in 2023, and they are looking to have another 500 more in 2024. On the topic of chronic disease, he said the government has strived to shift the emphasis of coping with chronic diseases to one of prevention rather than treatment. He related that they have ramped up screening for non-communicable diseases to over 54,000 persons in 2023 and in 2024 they look to continue on an upward trajectory with an aim of reaching 70,000 persons.

In the case of diabetes, the Diabetes Comprehensive Centre at Lusignan aims to roll out a mobile app, the minister stated. This app is set to monitor patients’ nutrition, exercise and other lifestyle data which can be used by healthcare providers to proactively and consistently regulate the health condition of their patients.

The Senior Minister continued, “Mr. Speaker, the cervical cancer screening programme will be expanding services to include HPV testing for all women between the ages of 35 and 45. Additionally, $3.8 billion has been allocated in this year’s budget as a specific intervention to ramp up capabilities to detect and fight against cervical cancer.”

Having commenced the school health programme last year which saw 11,205 nursery school students being screened, this year, plans are underway to start the programme at the primary level. “In 2024, this programme will be expanded to primary schools and can be expected to reach 87,000 students,” he added.

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• hinterland, hospitals, injection, National Assembly, Ogle

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